In the waning minutes of a horrific half of football that saw the Stampeders scrambling to find some semblance of normalcy or hope, just five or six more strides and the hosts could have clawed within two of a surging Saskatchewan club.

However, a ferocious swat by Tristan Jackson dislodged the ball from Price’s paw at the Roughriders’ 18-yard line, where it was scooped up by gang green and taken to the Stampeders’ 42 yard line. Two plays later Weston Dressler Dressler was in the Stamps’ endzone, the Riders were up 22-6 and the Stamps would never recover.

For the seventh time in 11 West Finals the first place Stamps failed to deliver.

They choked.

“That play probably hurt the most,” said Price, head down as if trying to comprehend how monumental his club’s collapse was.